Ideology
Nikolias blinked back the tears. He had been sure weeks ago that he had no more tears left in his body, and he wasn’t going to start scraping around in his soul for more.
He nodded. “Blah, thanks.”
She chuckled and pulled out a pair of vials, sliding them across the table to him before shooting another flick of magic over the trashbag. She typed a bit more and hit a final key.
“Submitted to the Council, along with the surveillance. Expect a payout for assault, property damage, and the emotional distress… though their son helping you out will be interesting.”
“Don't involve him if possible,” he said, looking at the clothing in his arms. “He's… under enough stress.”
“Durress too, I’m sure, with parents like that. Don’t worry, if you want to slip him a reward in the hallways for not being an ass, no one will stop you, and I may have slipped an assault charge in there on his behalf.” She set her jaw. “Those spots of blood aren’t even subtle.”
“Who exactly… are his parents?”
“Alpha Sorelia Moonshadow and Alpha Dimitri Volkov.”
Fuck my life.
Nikolias could not have worse luck if he tried.
“The Alpha Sorelia, sister to Alpha Elizabeth Moonshadow? Bastion of lycan superiority with the temper of a rabid wolf?"
“The one and only.”
He grimaced. Whatever relationship they could have was destined to fail for the sake of Derek’s safety, and yet nothing in him said not to at least try. Derek’s eyes had been so dim, but they had come to life when Nikolias had extended his hand. Hopeful. Longing. Guilt gnawed at him.
He couldn’t just… not.
“You'd be good for him,” T.J. said. “... and he'd be good for you. It's not ideal, the arrangement with the Abrahams… I’m surprised the Taimana’s caved so easily.”
“Cave isn’t the word I’d use… but if he cuts my hair while I'm asleep, I'm letting he whole tribe come down on him. Spears, torches, and all.”
And they would, being the baby of the tribe, even if he wasn’t a faros, had its advantages.
“As you should. Though leave the rest of us something to destroy, hm? Ruining that hair would be a crime.” She shook her head. “So let's talk about what is and isn't transferable to Frey Shores and what can be done otherwise.”
“All I want to know is how quickly I can get out of Frey Shores…”
She chuckled. “We have several options for your endeavors.”
Derek was starting to get dizzy, whether that was the adrenaline crash or the pain, he wasn’t sure, but he was grateful that after nearly an hour, his parents, very begrudgingly, accepted the few options available for his schedule. Derek wouldn't be taking any electives that anyone else in the family had taken. That meant no recycling homework, no overlapping courses that they could copy, and no chance of getting mixed up either. He was actually looking forward to taking some of the classes. He'd never had the chance to take an art class before.
The counselor printed Derek's schedule and slid the page across the desk to him. Dimitri picked it up first, and then Sorelia was pulling him towards the door. He was almost grateful since his feet were starting to hurt.
“If you were a more competent counselor, you would have found a means to acquiesce to the needs of the parents.”
“If you’d like to make another donation to expand any of the staff, space, or equipment, Frey Shores would gladly accept it.”
Sorelia snarled and pulled him along ahead of his father.
“Welcome to Frey Shores Academy, Derek,” the counselor called, her voice smiling. “I hope you’ll get what you need out of it."
Derek stumbled after him. When his father caught up with her, she let go, and Derek nearly collapsed with relief, able to just trail behind in the slipstream of her anger. Dimitri didn’t seem nearly as upset. It was mostly Sorelia grumbling about his schedule. Neither seemed to be paying any attention. Derek pressed a hand to his arm and grimaced. The five spots of blood were obvious in his white shirt, but they weren’t growing. He guessed she’d just scratched him this time.
A laugh came down the hallway. Derek looked up to see Nikolias coming out of a door with his own paper, a backpack on his shoulder, an old, murky military green duffle bag, wrapped in a trashbage in one hand, and a lollipop in his other.
“Thanks, T.J.! I'll get it sorted out.”
He turned and caught Derek’s gaze, grinning at him. He placed a finger to his lips and winked with a mischievous glint in his eyes before tossing the lollipop to him. His heart slammed against his ribcage. His parents had to have heard that, right? Derek managed to catch it, confused as to why Nikolias was giving him candy, but Nikolias just pulled out another and leaned against the wall, seemingly waiting for him to go. Derek looked down at the candy, then back at him. Nikolias nodded his head after his parents, and Derek hurried to catch up, shoving the lollipop in his pocket.
Neither of them seemed to have noticed a thing.
“He should be in band with his cousins.” Sorelia hissed. “Or at least orchestra. I’m sure there's someone who will move. She just didn’t try.”
“A muse for a teacher is more prestigious.”
“He’s not going into music, Dimitri. What difference does it make?”
“A lot of deals are made leveraging things that seem unimportant. Remember Blackbrush?”
She huffed, but it sounded like she was conceding that point. Dimitri was the only person she seemed to be alright losing to. Derek had thought that it was because they were mates, but more and more, he was realizing that it was because Sorelia acknowledged the fact that Dimitri was smarter and more cunning than her. It made sense. His father was a well-known, pro-lycan politician who had never even come close to losing his seat on the regional council.
“What is the Council thinking, requiring Fundamentals of Magic? Dimitri, I thought you had gotten that removed last session?”
“It passed 9 to 1, Sorelia, in the International Council. Magical technology is becoming the standard among supernaturals. It’s a push to force conservation.”
She scoffed. “It wouldn’t need to be if the packs and covens just banded together to take over ages ago. Humans wouldn’t have even had the chance to develop all their poisons. Now, we’ve got to play nice with devil- and tree-worshippers. And don’t even get me started on those jungle-dwelling shapeshifters.”
“Perhaps.”
She snarled low in her chest, her shoulders inching towards her ears. “They’re making moves against us more and more by the day. It would be better for everyone if they went back to cowering in caves where they belong. Infecting the whole world with their nonsense.”
“Unlikely.”
“One day, the world will be as it should be.”
"Maybe."
Derek’s stomach turned at the thought. A world ruled by lycan pack dynamics and people like his mother sounded like a nightmare he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

































